Palace of Culture and Science: Stalins hated Gift to Poland
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Discover the fascinating history of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, gifted by Stalin to Poland. Built in just three years, it's a stunning example of Socialist Realism architecture.
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Fun fact. There are oryginal furniture from 1955 in some of the rooms inside PKiN, that won't fit thrue the doors of the room. They where 'just' hand crafted by artisans inside that very rooms.
Soviet forethought.
Sounds like my ikea wardrobe
@@Speedkam 🤣
I mean furniture is made in parts, i doubt they were working on raw wood inside cuz u need a lot of big and heavy machines (im carpenter btw)
The quality of the furniture is very high indeed. Unlike the current shite.
My dad managed the Palace of Culture in the 2000s and at the time I learned a LOT. Since I also went to a university there, it became my second home for years. Oh, the stories I have! This is what I learned about the Palace's construction:
- Some rare aerial photos from just after the war show that the Złota street and the entire neighbourhood next to the Ghetto survived - kinda - the war. The buildings were burnt but the buildings stood. With photos alone of course we can't say what the state of those building really was but there is strong evidence showing that Germans were in the hurry to destroy the city. They set it on fire but did not bother to be thorough at the end, when they were in a hurry to leave. Demolishing sturdy brick buildings takes more time that you think. Conclusion: the new regime finished the job and pointed the fingers at Germans. Why? Maybe to use this opportunity to get rid of a bourgeoisie district and build something utopian from scratch?
- There were plans to build more scycrapers in this new heart of Warsaw. The favourite architect of the Soviet Union was fascinated by Manhattan and he got more creative with the Warsaw project. It's the most slender from all his other buildings, the least... Crude. I liked since I was a little girl before I could understand who built it and why.
- Warsaw did choose metro at first. And MDM - Marszałkowska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa (a huge project in itsel) which is now located next to the Politechnika metro station. The thing is, the Soviets did not have technology good enough to drill through some very tricky soil under Warsaw. There is a good reason we got a second line of metro only recently and it took years more than expected at first. I'm not going to go in details here. But it was not an easy project to undertake. It turns out it was not all about an evil plan. Stalin wanted to show that Warsaw ows him, that he is the good benevolent uncle in Moscow. Metro would be useful and set a good example. It was just too hard to execute at the time.
- When Sikorski and some other politicians wanted to knock down the palace, the building's board run some simulations. That was also in the aftermarth of 9/11. They checked what would make the Palace crumble and fall... Well, it would take two nukes at least just to take down the main building (all of the Palace's buildings including the Congress Hall, adjacent museums, theatres, etc., were built independently). Imagine how much a controlled demolishing of this building would take. Did I mention that it belongs to the city of Warsaw? Not a great idea of spending tax spenders' money. Also, it would be a waste to kick out offices, two to three universities, a huge library, three theatres, museums, and so much more, just to appease some people. Even if the symbol is strong and still hurts those who fell victim to communism.
- Just before the Palace turned 50 and was declared a historic protected building (an interesting story in itself), the staff discovered a number of rooms that no one new existed before. They were walled off, big empty spaces with abandoned ladders, buckets of paint, etc. The builders were in such a hurry to get the building ready for the grand opening that they just pretended those rooms never existed...
Okay. That was long. But I do have a soft spot for Pekin!
There is a story that, in order to get the sense of scale of the building, a helicopter was flown over the future location of the Palace and a delegation of officials were looking on from the other bank of the Vistula, while in radio contact with the pilot. Supposedly it were actually the Polish officials who kept cheering "higher, higher" that resulted in the final height of it being so outsized. Living in Warsaw, the Palace has its functions and I have been there many times - be it to visit a cinema, a theater, watch a concert in the congress hall, or visit the Museum of Evolution (which is probably the smallest proper museum with actual dinosaur skeletons in the world). That said it has been a bit vexing that the free Poland for years wasn't able to build anything taller than this and I think now that it has been surpassed, perhaps people will be a bit less emotional about it.
It was a balloon actualy. In 1950 when they start to make a plans, helicopter was still rather concept that working feature.
@@filipstaroscinski2697 First helis were put in service during WWII by Americans and Germans. First Soviet heli, Mi-1, was first flown in 1948 and entered serial production in 1950.
@@filipstaroscinski2697 as far as I know it was a plane :)
@@buziaku Quite so!
@@buziaku I have seen a photo of a baloon (with hydrogen most probably) on a rope. Try to imagine getting a correct level AND position by flying a plane over a place. Nightmare for a planist/architect
"Little, but tasteful" said queen of Belgium when she first saw PKiN. Exterior is made by soviets, but interior is mostly work of polish craftsmans and this is the official main reason why PKiN wasn't torn down.
LOL wat? So the Soviets only designed the outside, with no blueprints for the interior, and that was left to the Poles? Or, the Soviets came to Poland to build the outside shell and left the interior to Polish workers to build? What are you saying, man?
@@the_kombinator interiors are co-designed by Poles and Soviets and made by polish craftsmans. Exterior was made exclusively by soviet workers, from soviets materials without polish envolvement.
@@paweszczutowski1050
So, if the building was constructed solely out of soviet materials and constructed only by soviet workers - in that case it should have been completely destroyed?
@@reytop5064 I don't have an opinion. I know what this building stands for - it's clear sign who is the boss around here, made bye Stalin. On the other hand, communist Poland is gone for over 30 years. Most of young people don't care about PKiN past. Most of them even like this soviet piece of shit. Even I like it. I love going to bars and restaurants in there. I like this tasteless luxury for peasants. The main problem with this building is, we actually don't know what to do with it. The most luxuries halls and rooms and even whole floors are empty.
The royal kindness
You get used to seeing it... And actually it is quite useful. There are 4 independent theaters, 2 museums, a multiplex, a swimming pool with a diving tower, a college, local government offices and lots more. Plus, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on there. Last Sunday I was there at the festival of chocolate, tinctures and Asian cuisine... a strange but very tasty combination.
What is a jumping tower? Is it what i think it is?
@SRW_ diving board...but if the pool isn't filled, it could be both.
@@QBCPerdition It is a diving board but on the tower 10 m high.
@@QBCPerdition
Oh i see thank you
@@QBCPerdition hahahahah
Todays resentment is much smaller than suggested. Most Varsovians associate this building with their own experience (according to pools majority likes it) and the fact is that it serves its purpose as the most important public building! It’s not just a skyscraper, it is an open structure that contains: a concert hall, 4 theatres, a cinema, a museum of evolution, a museum of science and engineering, a swimming pool, a youth culture centre, multiple schools and colleges, a city council, restaurants and bars, fair and event space and many many more… It would be insane and barbaric to get rid of something that over time became so useful. Personally I love it since I was a kid, regardless its origin. Today the mains square in front of the palace is being restored (it was intended as a military parade site) to become friendly modern public space with trees and new buildings added to it: a museum of modern art and another theatre.
It has a pool?? That's news for me :D. Gosh, I need to check it out (if it is open to public)
Skąd ja wiedziałem, że jak wygoogluje znajdzie się jakiś miastozjeb 😂
Przykro mi, nikt normalny tak tego budynku nie postrzega.
When I was a kid I couldn't fathom the Warsaw once existed without it. It was so connected with the image of the city for me that I couldn't imagine Warsaw without it. To see the Siren you'd have to purposefully go where it was standing but the Palace was visible from all around - especially the major arteries. Whenever were coming back from a trip or vacation we knew we were almost home when we saw it.
@@Alchomik7 it is for public of course, read carefully her post
@@alh6255 hm... where exactly it says the pool is open to public? (Btw judging by the name: 'he', not 'she')
"A gift from one nation to another nation is unprecented."
Lady Liberty: "Am I a joke to you?"
Stalin: I'll pretend you don't exist.
@@singletona082 he was pretty good at ignoring liberty anyway ...lol
@@Funko777 haha good one - greetings from Ticity in Poland :-)
WHY HATED? It is actually LOVED by majority of Poles. Have you done a research regarding this? I am basing my judgment on conversation with Poles and Warsawians in particular, 90% of whom said they like this building, survey made in late 90's.
Statue of Liberty was a gift from French masonic lodges to American counterparts. :)
At this point the Place is pretty much just a piece of historical evidence. In fact, the building is slowly being appropriated for different projects from the city populace, i.e. there's some joints inside where you can get a drink. It's got this strange, subcultural vibe when you party there :). As for the surroundings, the current city plan states that the complex will be surrounded by skyscrapers and lower building, which will partially reduce it's visibility and reduce it's impact on the city skyline. So, we're colonizing it, which has a taste of 'payback'.
Dunno, I feel one way to finish the argument would be to rebuild it, as modify its structure, to add a second tower that is even higher and in more Ghotic style, with possible imagery of eagle involved to symbolise winning of freedom over oppression ._.
@@flameendcyborgguy883 So how about a statue of Lady Liberty with an eagle as a replacement for the spire.
@@KamikazeMedias but in such way like it bursted out of the spire, then it is a deal ok?
@@flameendcyborgguy883 perfect
@@KamikazeMedias what do you mean spire. its an ice cream cone.
"Pałać Kulturny I Naukni" ❤❤
XD
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Bardziej brzmi jak "Pałacz"
XDD
Maybe fit for a king? No, because it isn’t the Polish Versailles.
My grandma used to take me for art lessons there in the 1970’s..lol. We all scoffed at Stalin’s gift but we need these reminders present in our history. And it can be used for a good purpose now.
It must be frustrating niggling feeling in the back of your head. Its like Israel getting a gift from Hitler that's too useful and too expensive to get rid of. Yes, it looks cool and yes it's useful, but it's also from Hitler.
It always was used for good purposes. Ask your grandma.
I've been there! 1974, on a student railcard trip. "Only place in Warsaw you can't see it from" was the word.
The best place then, when observing Warsaw.
I remember myself working as a foreign consultant in my office in front of this building in the cold winter of 2009. How nostalgic
You should have mentioned Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, also in Warsaw. It was built with the same idea as PKiN between 1894 and 1912 but torn down in 1924-1926. Unlike the present day Poles the newly independent Poland of old would not have it.
What a "soft transition" does to mf
Cathedral isn't that functional structure.
Hi! Great material. Regarding the fact that the purpose of the PKiN was never established, this is very similar story like the one of the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest. One could say, that Warsaw Pact's architectural projects were created without a proper planning, but in fact, that was not limited to just the architectural projects, but concerned simply everything here :D Like ideas developed during a good party with tons of booze involved, which is exactly how it could have looked like :D
I, being a Pole living in the Warsaw agglomeration, like this building very much, because it has been a kind of Warsaw Empire State Building for me since I was a child. It may have been built by the communists in the style of socialist realism, but it is a building with great momentum, both in terms of height, design and finish. For me, it is above all a very attractive historical object.
You right!Nie wyobrazam sobie mojej stolicy bez Palacu Kultury.
I teraz pomyślcie, ilu debili, słoików podejrzewam, krzyczy, żeby wyburzyć PKiN.
To śmieszne ludziki o ograniczonych móżdżkach...
Exactly! It's iconic and much like the Empire State Building. No other building comes even near to the beauty of it. It is like the Eiffel tower for Paris and I don't care that it was a gift from ussr.
@@sheridansherr8974 well the USSR wasn't pure evil either
Doesn't matter what the f*** I said the algorithm is Almighty
I live in the Warsaw and I really like it. But I wish city would clean it in the future to restore more bright look.
In one of the shots in this video you can see one of the “clean” walls. 7 years ago few parts was cleaned in the visibility study. But there were no follow up
Też uważam że odnowienie budynku powinno być zrobione. Razem z odnowieniem powinna też wejść modernizacja i możliwe ulepszenia/zmiany które dałyby mu nowe znaczenie, i może wymazałoby trochę jego smutnej historii.
Podpisuję się pod tym, jaśniejszy wyglądałby dużo lepiej, tylko niestety, jak na taki duży obiekt sporo pieniędzy by musiało zostać przeznaczone na to, a wiadomo jak tu o nas z tym jest.
Zgadzam się w 100%. Nieprawdą jest, że Polacy nie lubią PKiN, survey mówi coś przeciwnego.
WHY HATED? It is actually LOVED by majority of Poles. Have you done a research regarding this? I am basing my judgment on conversation with Poles and Warsawians in particular, 90% of whom said they like this building, survey made in late 90's.
I associate many childhood and student time memories with this building. There are nice bars and other joints there as well, the viewing dock hosts fancy parties in a Soviet-goth setting :D
You can still see the preserved wooden shack town where Soviet workers were housed in the district of Bemowo near Kazubów street by the way.
Nowadays the PKiN is nicely used for evening illumination, it has a plethora of different architectural light settings upon it, where the whole facade glows bright and this gives the Warsaw night skyline a very nice touch. Especially from far away or from drone where you can grasp a wider panorama.
Where exactly is that preserved shack? According to google maps it runs from Bogatyńska to Bolkowska with just few kiosks and the tool shop on it.
@@antonisauren8998 I said Kazubów and I meant the neighboring Konarskiego st. Like Konarskiego 85, you have a student disco called Karuzela. The disco occupies one of the main buildings of the past workers' compound. There are also commemorative plaques there.
When you go to Warsaw it truly dominates and is huge. You can not miss it from any angel of the city. Looks truly mammoth in the fog or dusk.. We don't have nothing alike in the Baltic states.
This palace will be surrounded in 10-15 years by skyscrapers next to him (few 250-280 meters high, are in plans). So symbol of soviet domination - will be domination by economic success of modem Poland - only fair solutions :)
Riga TV tower?
@@jacekboczarski6698 Chyba za bardzo wierzysz w cuda 😂To co w planach w większości nie ujrzy światła dziennego.
I am from Poland it is not hated. Actually it is cool from architectural point of view comparing to standard metal and glass skycreepers. It has its own climat. So I don't know why it is hated. The other part is history of it but nowadays it is not hated. We could destroy it but we do not want naturally.
@@sandwind123456789 Oby go kiedyś wyczyścili i będzie git, bo przynajmniej moim zdaniem słabo się na niego patrzy jak jest taki "brudny", no ale pieniądze to główny czynnik tutaj.
The Soviets also built a similarly architected building in Xian, China, also during the 1950s. It might be interesting to hear about this one, too.
Used to go to the top floor with my dad as a kid to view the city from above. 20 years later, in 1996, worked there for most of the year.
Love these kinds of episodes. Had no idea about any of this, but really interesting to understand it as more than just a building :O . Good job Whistleboy & Team
I love our Palace of Culture. It is part of Warsaw no matter whose gift it was. I think most people in Warsaw share my opinion. It makes the landscape of Warsaw unique and beautiful with the modern architecture around especially during the night. People who refer to it as a 'Stalin's gift' most likely has not been raised in Warsaw. If anybody wanted to demolish it it would be a civil war in Warsaw.
It wouldn't be Warsaw without it
Glad to hear this, without it I wouldn't be able to navigate Warsaw as it's like the north star, you can see it everywhere. Also, it's ahem, beautiful isn't the word, but it grabs your attention and you just have to go "wow".
This comment was not written by a Pole, and especially not someone who comes from Warsaw, this trash building is a symbol of the occupation of Poland until 1989. Economically we are now 40 years behind Western countries cuz of the country that occupied us. It should be demolished, but its condition is tragic that it will fall apart on its own, soon or later.
@@deltus3x Your comment was written by some sad person who just hates not palace but Warsaw itself. 99% of Warsaw people never think about it the way you are I am sorry. People who live with Stalin in their head should go to a doctor. It is such a beautiful day in Warsaw today I am glad i will be passing by the palace in one hour. Don't live with hate in your heart.
@@deltus3x It's not a symbol of occupation anymore - it's a symbol that told said occupation force to fuck off. They might've been here, they might've been trying to keep us down, but it's us who is still standing on this land.
Thank you for being so respectful as always love seeing your vids on my homeland 💖
One thig to add, the place were Soviet workers lived that you’ve mentioned, is still standing. It’s called “osiedle przyjaźń” - friendship estate (from it’s original name, estate of polish-soviet friendship). Parts of it serve as student housing and other are just residential homes. It’s pretty unique to see a bunch of wooden homes with unique style in the city. And now, they are close to metro station so they are very well connected to the city Centre.
I'm Polish, some people say you should spit on it whenever in Warsaw... when it was built it was like spitting in the faces of Polish people. You mentioned it briefly but back then people were living in few families in single flats due to all destruction. Old town wasn't fully rebuild until years later. And then you have that giant in the middle of nothing, just ruins. Even in 1989 some people were saying it's time to demolish it now.
The problem is not that it's just so high but it takes a lot of space on the ground. It's expensive to heat up, to fix. Warsaw city centre changed enormously in the last 30 years with all new skyscrapers and price of land skyrocketed. But we have that massive stalins c..k in the middle taking space.
That being said, it's been 4 generations now growing up in rebuilt Warsaw. For most people Warsaw is the place where you can find a viewpoint where you see in front of you an old church (of course rebuilt), soc-realistic PKiN and modern skyscrapers. All mixed up together. That's the Warsaw (and Poland and Polish people) in a nutshell.
They also demolished some buildings to build it.
You forgot to add that they would also see a żabka or two
LOL Poland in a nutshell - there are those who still long for communism....
"Spit on it whenever in Warsaw" This is a very telling statement. People who hate the Palace aren't even Varsovians, they're backwater boomer right-wingers and nationalists. I have never heard anyone actually from Warsaw hate it, for us it's a symbol of our city
@@RaptureBoiX well then you probably dont know anybody from warsaw. they not only spit on it.
I’m polish, and I live in Warsaw for some time, and I’m very impressed how well your research is done ❤
And they built this giant monstrosity while Warsaw was in complete ruins.
russian logic
That is a major part of the resentment - not just because it was a "Stalin's gift" and symbol of the communist rule. The timing *and* placing make a lot of it. *Timing:* WWII just ended, over 90% of Warsaw was in total ruins and slowly rebuilding. What will we spent the effort and material on? This building. *Placing:* There is a part of Warsaw center that was not totally demolished by Germans and it was after war used as housing, as people were in dire need of roof over their head. Where will we place this building? Exactly there, demolishing an entire block of actually functional houses that are still standing.
We repurposed the buildings and made it ours these days - and people who still cry out to demolish it are just foolish. But never forgetting it's history - and the kind of spitting-in-your-face attitude that brought it to life - is also very important.
@@veevoir Juliusz Nagórski designed it before WWII. Stefan Starzyński wanted it to be built. If not WWII, we would have built it anyway.
I'm not a Pole, but I think it should stand there as a reminder. Plus soon it will be surrounded by taller skyscrapers, plus it looks cool imo
Reminder for what? For the fact that together with the Germans they entered Poland and when the Germans attacked the Russians, the Russians stood on the other side of the Vistula River and stood as the Warsaw Uprising bleeds out, they did not come to liberate Poland and give it free rights, but to build a Communion in Poland there and lasted until 1989 ... You probably don't know anything about it because your country was isolated by the Americans xd
Nie mieszaj polityki przeszłości do obecnych warunków. Teraz jest to po prostu zwykły budynek. Użyteczny pod wieloma względami. Namów Francuzów, żeby rozebrali wieżę Eiffela, bo to Niemiec ją zaprojektował.
@@talusn9405 1. It is a testament of history how it was, not how it should have been. 2. By erecting this building, Soviets actually fulfilled the will of Stefan Starzyński. This palace is almost identical to the project of 'Wieża Niepodległości' by Juliusz Nagórski.
Very interesting. Was there May 2018 in the Marriot across the street, the view out my window was the stark contrast between this and the modern high rises. Didn't know the story back then, now I do thanks to you.
In Romania there's a similar (but smaller) building called Casa Presei (House of the Press).
Before, it was called Casa Scanteii (Scanteia was the main "news"paper during communism, the equivalent of Pravda or Izvestia in the USSR).
Communists had a thing for ruining everything they came across: culture, education, intellectualism, art, architecture, music.
Now they are called EU
Isn't all Warshaw reconstructed from ruins by soviet people?
@@veryveryveryvery161By Polish people, yes. Don't mix us with soviets
@@bgggsht want a list of what buildings were reconstructed of workers from what regions of USSR?
@@VoidCosmonaut Nope now they are called Russia. Go and see culture architecture etc in Russia and in EU... and stay where is better in your opinion 😂
You can get an amazing photo of this at night, a photo of a hard rock guitar and the building just behind it all lit up it’s amazing!
Just to be clear, the debate in Poland was "it's symbol of oppression destroy it" vs "it's now mostly just a symbol of Warsaw, keep it". Nobody wants to keep it because it's a symbol of communism or russia. And the camp that wants to keep it seems to have won the debate by now, very few people still want to destroy it. I'm of the opinion that such buildings should be kept to show the history, no matter if it was good or bad. Same as with words - instead of banning insulting language - take it over and use it yourself. In my city (Lublin) there was a huge russian orthodox church on the main square in the city built by Tzar Russia when it occupied Poland before WW1. After we regained independence in 1918 it was destroyed because it was treated as a symbol of oppression. Now some people think it's a shame, because it was a part of city's history and you can keep such buildings and explain the bad history enriching the city at the same time. Lublin Castle was used by germans and russians to murder thousands of people and yet it wasn't destroyed, same with german death camps. So we can keep skyscrappers and churches too, just put a sign explaining the history behind it.
Actually, Varsiovians got to vote if they want to be gifted with Palace or metro.
They chose metro, but due to very moist/wet ground the project was deemed as too difficult and expensive to be taken, so Palace was built instead.
These problems was also a cause why Warsaw had it's metro system so late in comparshion to other European capitals. It required better technology and knowledge to build it, so we had to wait a little bit. But now we have a metro line, that goes UNDER the river. (Probably stupid, expensive idea - why not just put it on the bridge? I don't know. Maybe the engineers wanted to show off "We didn't have a metro for so long due to moist ground issues, but now we have metro line UNDERNEATH the river. Who's the boss now?" xD)
I think part of the problem was fact that under polish legislation metro has to be entirely underground. Building a bridge would need change in legislation. Because of that rolling stock in warsaw is designed to operate entirely inside tube and its not weatherproof. It makes it fractionally cheaper btw
Ireland: "Wait, you guys have a metro?"
This skyscraper is a beauty compared to modern architecture and tower blocks.
The Varso tower was under construction the last time I was in Poland. My hotel was next door to it. Interestingly, the architect was Daniel Libeskind, who also had the original idea for the new WTC in New York
As a Warsaw citizen, I believe it's just too important to be ever removed by anyone. It's a Polish Eiffel Tower when it comes to recognizability, and I will not let anyone bring it down. Nice to see someone cover it though.
Well, it was hatred during communism and shortly after. Nowadays it is basically a skansen.
But it’s a gift that Poland never wanted.
@@Jungoguy From the video, seems like it was as much of a "gift" as a collar is to the family dog.
I think I can speak for many Polish citizens that we wouldn't mind it being brought down along with any varsovians defending it. No Poles will be harmed in the process anyway.
Nie
czcams.com/video/p4Xu8TmuPLk/video.html
I like it lit up in purple. Handsome building.
Historically, the French didn't like the Eiffel Tower when it was built, but in time it has become the symbol of Paris and a beloved landmark. Same as the Palace of Culture.
Eiffel Tower doesn’t have the same history as PKiN.
It’s different emotional charge when you think of ‘ugly’ Eiffel Tower and the gift from Soviets who not only attacked Poland, kept it as a vassal state, torturing and murdering the most noble and patriotic Polish citizens and rewritten the history.
Different level.
@@natalias50 cry about it 🤣
Pałac Kultury jest zajebisty
The Eiffel Tower was never a symbol of oppression.
@@zacnieprawisz9171 tak jak algorytm youtuba.
When I visited it last year it somehow made me think of our monstruos building, Palace of Parliament (by Ceausescu), but on the vertical mostly. Impressive indeed.
Ten years ago I spent few days as a guest of a theatre located in this building, had an occasion to see the backstage, guest rooms, offices etc. I was absolutely impressed by the craftsmanship level of those interiors. Doors, windows, handles, floors, lamps, stairs - created from excellent materials, beautifully designed and crafted, by pre-war masters. This is a level that would be impossible to match today, because the skilled people are gone, and cost of materials would bancrupt everybody.
Very well, written and narrated. Thanks a million! _Great_ episode, I should say.
Kind of has a Lighthouse of Alexandria look to it, just with a clock at the top instead of a big fire.
Lovely to see this building get some exposure. The top floor of the TPSA building (visible in this video, I think) was a great place from which to view the palace at the turn of the century. In spite of the ten day special military operation, I’m guessing The Palace of Science And Culture is somewhat less controversial now.
You are always so well prepared! Well done! Greetings from Tricity in Poland :-)
The decision to build it was taken in 1951. To make it possible in the heart of Warsaw 400 buildings were either demolished or (if they were destroyed during the WW II) not reconstructed !
"Soviet wedding cake" is a perfect description
In Finnish, the PKiN, Riga's Academy of Sciences building and Moscow's Seven Sisters are often referred to as "Stalinin torahampaat", "Stalin's fangs".
"City" of soviet workers still exist. It's now students quarters in Jelonki. They are made from wood and look almost like a russian village. This quarter of Jelonki got national monument status, just like PKiN.
I used to live there. Happy days. The most liberal (and also the cheapest) dorms back in the days.
Cudos for calling it PKiN in the first place :) Made my day, as Varsovian.
Back in 2000s as kids we used to tell funny rumors about palace of culture. My favorate one was "Palace of Culture is a sekret KGB rocket!"
for me as a pole this building is amazing piece of 50' architecture and great way to navigate main train station in Warsow for turists
Politics aside, Lev Rudnev has done a great job designing this building. To this day it's one of my favourite buildings in Poland. He was a very talented arhitect.
I really don't like the fact that the exterior of the building has been neglected for decades and has gotten really dirty. The price of deep cleaning the building is roughly $3 million which is nothing compared to what it would cost if we had to build this building today. I'm estimating that it could even be $500 million. Warsaw is on its way of becoming the skyscraper capital of Europe and the government is too cheap to clean it's most iconic building. Even the hobos that sleep on the benches next to it take better care of themselves.
Another fact about this building is that Lev Rudnev decided that the 4 small towers around the building are to be the same height as Poland's then tallest building Prudential House which is 66m.
Polish people hold no love for communist architecture, better to let it fall apart and rebuild something else.
I think it should stay. It’s an undeniable reminder of that period of Poland’s history, and the country has done a job of reclaiming it culturally and making use of it for the residents of the city. Russians are still related to us, albeit distantly, even though we’re not fans of the Russian government.
Not everyone likes all the government of the three world powers. Including the government of China and the United States. Especially the US government ..) Although Poland is one of the few who always likes the American government ))
@@dimadima9693 This is about Russia bud.
It is a reminder of a lesson we never learned. That socialism is a tyrany that should be destroyed. Not even 40 years passed and we are slowly getting back to be run by socialists.
Im polish and always wanted it gone
Great episode!
Home city ftw. Despite its history, I always liked the Palace of Culture. It is a nice contrast among all the glass towers.
As a Pole, I can't express how I appreciate your videos from Poland. I don't live in Warsaw, I don't have any opinions on whether PKiN should be demolished, I just think it's huge and ugly - and special, at the same time.
It's especially ugly now as it gets darker, it was prettier when it was white.
It's better looking than most modern buildings. They were building better at that time. Capitalistic utbanization is inhuman, expensive, sub-stantard, and ugly.
@@werwito6723 it was cleand recently I 've heard
@drzewiectv17 idk I prefer modern ones with lots of light coming in
@@john_2589 I rather not look at a boring glass block day in and day out, I rather look at something interesting.
There is also a similar building in Riga, Latvia. can't recall the name though.
(my apologies if someone has already mentioned this) An old joke was that the best view of Warsaw was from the top of the "Pałac Kultury", because it was the one place in Warsaw you could be guaranteed not to have to look at the ******* thing.
Thank you for pointing out Poland never was a member of USSR.
Some pseudo-historians today and many CZcamsrs claim Poland indeed was part of USSR which is not true… just like the common mistake that Poland is in Eastern Europe where in reality it is in Central Europe 👍🏻
Oh shut up. It’s Eastern as they come. Everything after Germany, Austria, Italy is eastern
Which you tuber says poland was part of ussr?
Calling Poland eastern Europe has nothing to do with geography bit politics. Its eastern because it was part of the Eastern Bloc
Oh please. If this building was in NYC, Detroit, Chicago or anywhere else in the US people would be saying it was beautiful and they hope it's never torn down.
As someone who considers himself to have at least a modicum in taste in art and architecture, I must admit I have a somewhat irrational fondness for Soviet wedding-cake style. Are there any videos on the Seven Sisters?
And FWIW, as an American, I have no dog in this fight, but my suggestion would be not to demolish it, but to spend the money to turn the main structure into low-income housing or a retirement home.
I was literally just there a few days ago. Perfect timing on the video
A nice foreign perspective. I personally always liked our PKiN. I'm a kid from another era so I don't have all that baggage of trauma's although I understand it's history.
I have only good memories with it. When I was in the Academic Warsaw University Choir we had some GOOD concerts there. The acoustic was great! In Drama Theatre I was watching a nice play, I've been a bazillion times in the classic studio cinema, my younger sisters were attending a gymnast and fencing classes in building's sport halls. In one of the halls my high school have booked a prom for my graduating year (but that wasn't actually a good memory, the Marble Hall was very dissatisfying place for such a party and it was a very stiff climate that day).
And also a Fact about Metro and Palace question - Soviets actually start building both of them at the same time. But unexpected underground waters destroyed one of the started tunnels (in Targówek district people who know, can still find this entrance and tunnel) very quickly killing 10 soviet and polish workers so the idea was abandoned.
Even though I'm a Pole and I understand our history I still find the palace as well as seven sisters beautiful. It looks original, it has a soul, nothing like the glass aquariums built nowadays
Yes indeed, it has a Stalin's soul.
I hate it with burning passion. And I find it dissapointing that other Poles don't feel we owe it to our ancestors to destroy it.
@@abcdmefgh2843 зря пшекам строили. Оказывается пшеки - типичные неблагодарные нацисты. Ничего, скоро мировая война и мы поможем вам с декоммунизацией.
I don't think it will be demolished. It is probably already on a list of protected buildings because of it's historical significance.
I used to hate it, because my family told me about it's history. Then I moved to Warsaw and I don't mind it anymore. It also helped me find my way when I got lost.
Seeing PKiN in person, I realised that it is not as ugly as I imagined. It has it's charm, similar to another communist project in Poland: Nowa Huta in Cracow. Way better than blocks of flats from 80s where I grew up, or massive deck access block from 70s where I live now.
Nobody needs to destroy this trash building because its condition is so tragic that it will fall apart on its own, sooner or later.
You can't see it from a distance, but up close it's a tragedy.
I was growing up in Nowa Huta. Hate that place with all the passion.
All I remember is grey, grey and more grey. Also drunks, drunks and more drunks.
@@natalias50 well, I was there in 2010 or so. It was charming, full of trees (at least where I was) and relatively pretty buildings. Stalinist architecture looks way better than subsequent brutalist buildings. As to being grey and full of drunks- so we everywhere, even the medieval part of the city.
Ugly? It is amazing building.
It's pretty impressive the first time I saw it.
Great video like always!
I have a suggestion for another topic:
Bucket-wheel excavators
There are several in use in Germany for coal minig and one even holds the world record for the heaviest land-based vehicle ever constructed.
It's a touch unfair to compare deaths with the construction of the Empire State Building: that project had a remarkably good safety record, especially for the time.
I was born after communism ended in Poland, so I have no negative connotations regarding The Palace of Culture and Science. From my perspective, it's a gorgeous building, it looks even better live comparing to the photos. The details make it. It's very monumental.
03:00 - 03:30 - Nearly 1 century Simon/Simons broadcast team!
This building is beautiful in a weird way
Academy of Science building in Riga Latvia looks very similar, but smaller
The settlement "przyjazn" (friwndship) in Bemowo district is still standing ang is an interesting piece of history on its own. After the Russian workers returned home in 1955 it was given to the city and the large communal buildings were used as dorms for students and the small famili houses were given to profesors and academic workers. This is the case to this day, although the smaller buildings are now occupied by descendents of those people, while the large ones are still dorms. I live close by and often go there, because of its magical nature.
I think it is a cool looking building.
It does not fit in with the surroundings. It gets dirty easily because of the materials used, and it's a hell of a job cleaning this abomination. There are too many problems with it.
The luxury of PKiN is amazing even today. And it's hard to imagine how the people of Warsaw reacted when they entered this building. Remember by the 1960s/70s there were still many streets and buildings in Warsaw destroyed by the war.
But my favourite fact about PKiN is the two housing estates left behind by the palace's builders. The Przyjaźń estate and the Jazdów estate. It is absurd to walk around a 70-year-old estate of Finnish houses (wooden barracks and real wooden houses) in the city centre. Especially the Jazdów estate, which is literally 500 metres from the Sejm and Senate buildings. If you get the chance, visit them, especially as the estate is right next to the US, UK, French and German embassies. And the estates themselves are beautifully situated amidst parks in the city centre. Real gems.
Really cool building!
That style of building has been nicknamed “Stalin Gothic”
I am born in Warsaw and the Palace was a symbol of home. Whenever I travelled from vacation, after couple of hours in the bus I could see the tall building on the horison, with a very specific shape. It meant I am close to home, my city, my family. Can't imagine Warsaw without its symbol.
The Nazis hated everything Polish so in a fitting way, this was their legacy,. A free Poland would have built something entirely different if it wasn’t for them.
I have been growing up in Warszawa. The palace is not hated, honestly I hardly know anybody who dislikes it. I have also always enjoyed it very much.
Yes, there were probably better things to construct, but this is always the case with all the big monuments and trips to the moon. You take the money that could be spent somewhere else. I mean, the French didn't have to gift a Statue of Liberty to USA, while black people were treated like caged animals. Liberty.
You presented all the negative reactions to its construction, but there were people who were proud of it, saw it as hope. Like poor people seeing a big cathedral being built. They should not be judged or discarded, just because all that's Soviet must be bad.
The calls of destruction of the palace are part of the local power struggle you are not aware of. Warszawa is ruled by a mafia of developers, big companies that use loopholes in the property laws and appropriate land. They managed to obtain some well-located parcels of land for as much as 15 dollars and built very profitable sky scrapers. Sikorski's political party is very much supported by those companies. PKiN would be a great opportunity to make incredible amounts of money.
BTW: The organisers of Warsaw Uprising had known that Soviets wouldn't help, because they repeatedly had done exactly that in the Eastern part of Poland. Soviets either waited for Germans to kill Polish partisans or just occupied the city and disarmed them. There was no reason to think that it would be any different in Warszawa.
I'm polish and was born in 1997, obviously therefore I never lived in the socialist Poland or neither have experienced it. As a kid I've never known that pkin had any relationship to Stalin or anything like that, it was just a famous building in Warsaw and that was my only association for quite some time. Now I know of the association but I think that for the newer generations it has lost that old meaning and is associated with free Warsaw. And even knowing it's history and purpose I still think it's good to keep it, it shows that the city of Warsaw and Poland itself has outlasted this "immortal" gift from Stalin that would function within that system forever. But now the building is there but the system that birthed it has been dead for 30 years. To me it's a symbol of how Poland has survived that dark era and outlasted that, the good has outlasted the bad. And the bad thing was reclaimed in a way to become a symbol of something different. I have no love for it and if something better could be built there I'd be open to it but I don't hate its existence, to me it's purely practical and not that emotional.
It's a beautiful building, regardless of who built it. In 50 years nobody alive will remember the Communist regime, but it will still be standing. Make use of it and move on.
They should get the high pressure hoses out and give it a clean though.
yu dont know poles we will remeber and we will take the pound or two of flesh for this one eventually
As a polish person from Warsaw i love this building and it looks beautiful for me and our soviet time is still a part of our history if we like it or not
The headline does reflect the truth. The truth is that just like with any new building, some people love it, some people don't
LOL for me this building represents 50+ years of missed opportunities and oppression. The reason my family had to leave Poland... a wy to lykacie, no ja piernicze.
@@the_kombinator your opinion i like the building and warsaw wouldn't be warsaw without it
@@the_kombinator I don't give a shit about your opinion if you're not a Varsovian tbh. It's an icon of our city and has been for generations now. People like you are the problem, living abroad and thinking you are entitled to opinions about how we should run things back home
@@alexandergaazka4200 Thanks for telling me yours and confirming mine? Like the cut of your own jib i see?
Was walking by it today!
You foggoten about museums, teathers and youth center for art and sport that are place there from many many years... it is in the name "Kultury i Nauki". In vast chambers in side the palace, are made events from Gem nd Stones exhibition, book and comic exchange, tatoo events...and many more...😊
If there was ever held a Warhammer 40K world tournament, this building is where it should premiere.
There is the European Championship (ETC) where sometimes (?) the American team participate.
@@rafabartosik9870 i recall there was board game tournament held there being a battletech fan and player some one did mention there was bt game going and wh40k game also was spotted by them
A world of tanks final was held there like 8-9 years ago
@megaprojects , I have an idea for a future video. The biggest cruise ship in the world. You may have covered that before but it always seems like there is a bigger one launching every few years thats even bigger than the last. I'm interested in the Disney Cruisline's Wish. I think its the current record holder, and its really amazing. it uses a new, cleaner fuel, has the first amusement ride at sea, and during its shake down cruise they were still finishing interior construction right up to when it pulled into dock to take its first passengers. Its an amazing vessel.
Very interesting
It's like building your castle in your newly conquered lands.
Still this building is far better than any of the newly build characterless glass towers. Visitors are likely to rake a curiosity look at the Palace of Culture than Varso or any other skyscraper in the city. Well... perhaps the only other building would be the former 30s Prudential skyscraper
You mentioned houses build for soviet workers who worked on the palace, funny thing is that they are still standing and in use. Now they are students houses for one of the universites in Warsaw. I used to live there. They changed very little in the decades and were im terrible shape, but i have some very good memories from my time there.
I love its proportions and symetry.
It should be also stated how many other beautiful landmarks were vandalized and stipped of material to build this awful monstrosity.
For example quite a lot of the marble floors are taken from Mariana Oriańska's palace in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki which was a really unique and extremely beautiful palace until Stalin's people came to rip it apart to feed that hideous tall brick.
Soviet and Chinese communism destroyed so much more than they ever built. It was the ultimate cancel culture.
“Stalins people” ? What you mean?
Poland's politicians hate it precisely because it's beautiful. By its very existence it contradicts their stance that "oppressive Soviet tyrants only built prisons".
neither of these statements is true :)
@@MrOdrzut
If you fail to see beauty of the monumental tower, or bias of Polish politicians, then perhaps you shouldn't flaunt your ignorance on the internet?
@@user-co3uc8vt7e most Polish politicians are against destroying this building. So that was your first false statement. And the few ones who do want to destroy this building - want it destroyed not because of esthetics, but because of its symbolism. So that's your second false statement. As for ignorance - I'm Polish, I've lived in Warszawa for 2 years. What makes you think you're less ignorant on this matter than I am?
@@MrOdrzut
Perhaps you're right about most Polish politicians being against the demolition of the Palace. That would explain why it's still around.
However, this symbolism is closely tied with grandeur. I assume that the very same politicians who want it gone are eager to preserve and showcase prisons built between 1945 and 1989 (if any were built at all, interwar Poland had more than enough to be used by new government). "Look how horrible those godless communists were!" But the grandiose palace has to go, because its existence is against the narrative, as I said before.
Am I wrong about these politicians?
"Welcome to City 17..."
A very interesting video Simon, Thank you for this. But, I swear it looks like something National Lampoon artist Bruce McCall would come up with.
A beautiful building, and I don’t normally give most buildings a second glance.
It is a great building and a lot of people love it. Great landmark that goes perfectly in the backdrop of all the new architecture.
There is a joke about an American tourist who visited Warsaw in the 1960s. He arrived at the Palace of Culture and Science with a guide and began to loudly complain that the palace was ugly. The guide replied: I like it, I have a wife and children, I like it very much.
Fun fact: Beijing is still known as ‘Pekin’ in Polish and there has been no attempts at changing its name to Beijing. Most people would not know what Beijing is as it’s simply not called that here.
Just thought I’d point it out as he mentioned Peking in the beginning.
Its Peking in serbian too
I think it's a very beautiful building!
ooo. pałac kultury